Showing posts from October, 2009

Vertical Stability (Yawing)

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Stability about the aircraft’s vertical axis (the sideways moment) is called yawing or directional stability. Yawing or directional stability is the most easily achieved stability in aircraft design.…

Stability (Rolling)

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About the aircraft’s longitudinal axis, which extends nose of the aircraft to its tail, is called lateral This helps to stabilize the lateral or “rolling effect” wing gets lower than the wing on the …

Longitudinal Stability (Pitching)

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In designing an aircraft, a great deal of effort is spent in developing the desired degree of stability around all three axes. But longitudinal stability about the lateral axis is considered to be th…

Aircraft Design Characteristics

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Each aircraft handles somewhat differently because each resists or responds to control pressures in its own way. For example, a training aircraft is quick to respond to control applications, while a …

Axes of an Aircraft

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The axes of an aircraft are three imaginary lines that pass through an aircraft’s CG. The axes can be considered as imaginary axles around which the aircraft turns. The three axes pass through the CG…

Aircraft Ground Effect

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It is possible to fly an aircraft just clear of the ground (or water) at a slightly slower airspeed than that required to sustain level flight at higher altitudes. This is the result of a phenomenon …

Lift/Drag Ratio

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Drag is the price paid to obtain lift. The lift to drag ratio (L/D) is the amount of lift generated by a wing or airfoil compared to its drag. A ratio of L/D indicates airfoil efficiency. Aircraft wi…

Aircraft Drag

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Drag is the force that resists movement of an aircraft through the air. There are two basic types: parasite drag and induced drag. The first is called parasite because it in no way functions to aid f…

Induced Drag

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The second basic type of drag is induced drag. It is an established physical fact that no system that does work in the mechanical sense can be 100 percent efficient. This means that whatever the natu…

How Forces Acting on the Aircraft

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Thrust, drag, lift, and weight are forces that act upon all aircraft in flight. Understanding how these forces work and knowing how to control them with the use of power and flight controls are essen…

Pitch and Power

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No discussion of climbs and descents would be complete without touching on the question of what controls altitude and what controls airspeed. The pilot must understand the effects of both power and e…

Descent and Descending Turns

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When an airplane enters a descent, it changes its flightpath from level to an inclined plane. It is important that the pilot know the power settings and pitch attitudes that will produce the followin…

Climbs and Climbing Turns

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When an airplane enters a climb, it changes its flightpath from level flight to an inclined plane or climb attitude. In a climb, weight no longer acts in a direction perpendicular to the flightpath. …

Level Turns

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Aturn is made by banking the wings in the direction of the desired turn. Aspecific angle of bank is selected by the pilot, control pressures applied to achieve the desired bank angle, and appropriate…

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